[Graham]

My wife is due to give birth to our first child (a boy) in early June.

We've been busy buying things for the new baby, but my wife doesn't want to buy nursing bras. Instead she plans to just continue to use her regular bras.

My question is, as we intend to breastfeed will it actually be practical, comfortable and safe for my wife to wear her regular bra?

I think she just wants to save a bit of money, but I'd rather we buy some nursing bras if it is going to make things easier for her and the baby.

So are nursing bras really necessary or are they just a luxury? If they are necessary, can somebody explain what are the pros and cons, so that I've got some ammuntion to persuade her that we should buy a nursing bra.

Help.

Graham

[Grace Bellis]

I was breastfeeding my daughter for 6 weeks and from 6th week onwards, I pumped and fed her with bottle. I was doing it for 9 months. I found nursing bras very effective throughout the 9 month period. Here are the reasons why I had them :
1. it's convenient to be able to get the strap down from my shoulder and started breastfeeding/pumping.
2. I was leaking quite heavily at the beginnning. With the nursing bra, I could insert/replace a breast pad on one side and continue feeding with the other quite easily. I tried to do this with regular bra and found it very hard to manage.
3. My bra size changed a lot; especially towards the end of pregnancy. I needed to get some new bras anyway. Since I was planning to breastfeed, I bought one to try. As I managed to breastfeed my daughter and found it work well for me, so I bought a couple more.

I'd suggest that you wife get one first. If she can breastfeed, she would want more.

[scr]

I think nursing bras are really convenient if you plan to breastfeed and worth it if you plan to breastfeed for a year or even longer. With a regular bra you could push the cup out of the way up or down in order to breastfeed..I have done it but it tends to try and slide back to it's original position and ends up in the baby's mouth. My son took 5 months to get the hang of breastfeeding and I certainly appreciated the convenience and support of a nursing bra. You need new bras anyway by the time you deliver or start breastfeeding as pointed out by Grace, so why not try a nursing bra. I bought one when I was nearing my due date and found it very comfortable. After the baby was born I bought some more. I've used them for over a year.

[ctrbabe1]

I just want to agree with what's been said so far. I've been nursing for a year and at the beginning I also didn't want to spend money on nursing bras. However, they are much more comfortable than lifting your bra up or down to nurse, and also as your breast size changes, nursing bras have adjustable cups to make them more comfortable, and you can get more use out of them.

[jwang]

If your wife does plan to use regular bras, make sure they are not too tight or have underwires. Otherwise, she may develop blocked milk ducts...not pleasant at all!

[Graham]

Thanks for all your replies. After reading them, my wife has now agreed to buy one nursing bra to try.

Graham

[JennyB]

I can't imagine how anybody can use their regular bras unless they are very stretchy and definitely not underwired. When your milk comes in, your breasts will be HUGE and anything too tight will be unbearable to wear, not to mention risk causing blockages. But going without is not an option either because they will be very heavy and need some support. So you need to get at least one bra which is MUCH bigger than your regular size, maybe 2 or 3 cup sizes. And the ones designed for nursing are much more convenient, esp in the early days when feedings are very frequent, and esp if you want to breastfeed in public.

Why not check out the links on this forum to YES bras, which are stretchy so can accommodate changes in size, not to mention affordable too. The saleswoman Christie is also very helpful in making sure you get the right size (not always easy to project when you're pregnant), whereas other places I have tried such as Mothercare have been hopeless.

[noah's mummy]

Thanks Jenny B!! I didn't start out as a bra expert - but nearly 3 years of breastfeeding and several dozen bad and expensive bras were the inspiration for the YES maternity/nursing bra. Graham: I'd be more than happy to help your wife see if the YES bra is the right one for her. It's stretchy, comfy, pretty, supportive and stylish. As the advice below goes: NO underwire and no way will we put her in a bra that is too-tight. Best of all, it won't cost an arm and a leg. We offer them locally for $160 HKD. Feel free to email me for a "virtual fitting", and we can send your wife a bra in the post before baby arrives.

christie@yesbreastfeeding.com
www.yesbreastfeeding.com

And, whether you do buy or not, make sure to give the HK La Leche League a call if you have any questions about breastfeeding. They're a fabulous group and we donate proceeds of the bra sales to them. Best wishes in June when baby arrives, ENJOY the miracle!!

Christie